Requiem For Tomorrow
by Jeffrey Patrick
Summary: The sequel to "Of Magic and Machinations." I received your death threats and got to work. This story picks up a little less than a year after "Of Magic..." and takes our heroes into a new and darker place.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Requiem For Tomorrow  
  
Author: Jeffrey Patrick  
  
Description: The long-awaited (I think...) sequel to "Rain Falls on the Just" and "Of Magic and Machinations."  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a Zero bar and a rusted slinky. Buffy and all related characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Fox. It's their barn. I just roll in their hay.  
  
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The humans all wore dark black robes. They were hidden in the darkness except for the symbol of the world being smothered by serpents. The girl on the table was naked and beautiful. She was the sacrifice, and a willing one at that. Brother Antus spoke to the brethren in a calm, soothing tone. The words he spoke were Babylonian in origin, though his accent was definitely from New Jersey. The three new recruits in the order were prostrate, echoing his words. With the recitation complete, Brother Antus brought the ceremonial dagger down hard, plunging with a sickening sound through the young woman's sternum. She smiled as her blood spilled down the metal table into a large goblet, before choking on her blood and jerking uncontrollably. With a loud gurgle, she ceased her movement. She was dead.  
The first of the recruits came forward, and bowed low before Brother Antus. He then stood, head hung low. "I am less, that the song may be more," he said softly. Brother Antus pulled back the young man's hood. He then dipped his fingers in the woman's warm blood and traced the sigil of a serpent on the recruit's forehead.  
"May you please him," Brother Antus said. The recruit bowed once more and returned to his original position. The second recruit came before him, and followed suit. "I am less, that the song may be more," he said. Once the sigil was drawn on his head, Brother Antus said, "May you please him."  
The third recruit waited for the second to return to his place before moving. He then repeated the same ritual, bowing low and then standing before Brother Antus. He repeated, "I am less, that the song may be more." With the hood pulled back and the sigil drawn on his forehead, he made sure to look Brother Antus in the eyes, instead of cowering as the others did. Antus smiled at him grimly and said, "May you please him." The third recruit returned to his place.  
"You will know the song by heart for it will echo throughout eternity," Brother Antus said. "May you please him."  
"May we please him," all present repeated.  
With the ceremony over, many of the Brothers of the Eternal Song shook hands with the recruits. Brother Antus came first to the third recruit.  
"You have spirit," he told the young man. "What is your name?"  
"Jordan West," the man said with a charming grin. "And one day I hope to stand by your side when you consult the Eternal Song, Brother Antus."  
"Many aspire," Brother Antus said flatly, "yet few succeed. Still, I look forward to seeing how you prove yourself, Jordan. If you prove useful, perhaps you will reach even the loftiest of goals."  
Jordan bowed again. "I will make you proud, Brother. You will see. Now if you will excuse me, I promised to tell my brother about this evening. He aspires to join the Brotherhood. I promised I would begin teaching him, so he may pledge his loyalty as well."  
"Already recruiting," Brother Antus smiled. "That's a wonderful way to start. Bring your brother to our next meeting, Jordan. We will help you convince him."  
"Of course, Brother."  
Jordan West walked nearly half a mile from the old cathedral before he gave the signal. On a nearby rooftop, a woman dressed all in black opened a channel on her walkie-talkie. "Lost Sheep to Shepherd. Lost Sheep to Shepherd."  
"Shepherd to Lost Sheep," a male voice replied in her earpiece. "Report."  
"Nighthawk has infiltrated the nest," she said. She watched as the robed figure disappeared down a dark street. "Be careful, Xander," she whispered to herself. "If anything happens to you, boss-lady is gonna be pissed."  
  
  
  
  
  
Rupert Giles leaned on his cane, watching the new recruits doing their Tai Chi. They were young and frail. Many of them had been on the street for nearly a year with little or no food. They had lost loved ones by the dozen when the Vampire Lord came to rule. He shouted a command at them, all the while wishing he could return them to innocent times. This, however, was not a time for innocence. He would make them killers. It was the best gift he could offer.  
"I thought I was the pro at barking orders," Riley Finn said, stepping up next to him. "You just made me sound like Barney Fife yelling at Otis." Giles just stared at him blankly. "That was pretty much lost on you, wasn't it?" Giles nodded with a soft grin. "Oh well. I just came to report."  
"You've heard from Xander?"  
"He gave the signal to Tynisa about ten minutes ago. He's in," he said with a grin.  
"I don't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or be sick to my stomach," Giles sighed. "If they find him out..."  
"They won't," Riley said confidently. "I trained him myself. He's good. Real good. Suave Xander is back on the clock."  
"I know," Giles said. "But if anything were to happen to him..."  
"Buffy would lose it," Riley finished. "She's... doing an amazing job here, but... she's still..."  
"Fractured," Giles said bluntly. "Is your team ready?"  
"I still have a few things to teach them," Riley said, "but they are definitely the cream of the crop. Most of them had previous experience. Some with the military, and some with the police or fire department. They were a bit easier to train than your bunch."  
"It is a daunting task," the Watcher said. "But if anyone can turn this lot into an army, it's our group."  
"The Scooby Gang rides again," Riley smiled.  
  
  
  
Sarah Potts cursed under her breath. The heat of the Sahara was nearly unbearable. She doubted that she would still be moving at all if not for her slayer strength. "I've got a mission for you, she says," the Slayer said rolling her eyes. "It's gonna be a cakewalk, she says. When I get my hands on you, Buffy..." Sarah's thoughts were interrupted by a gust wind that blew sand in her eyes. She sighed a heavy sigh, and cursed again. "All this way to find some mage that may not even have the info we need," she complained. "I'll bet Buffy's just laughing her ass off about now."  
  
  
  
Buffy licked the blood from her lip and put her hand on her broken rib. There were only two vamps, but something was different about them. "They seem faster," she thought, barely ducking a punch. She plunged a stake deep into his chest. He punched her hard enough to send her flying, pulled the stake from his heart and laughed a deep, growling laugh. "And remarkably resilient," she thought, trying hard to remain conscious. They were on her before she could move. One of them kicked her broken rib, shattering it further.  
"You guys have been eating your vegetarians," she said, flipping out of their reach. She managed to block the next blow, but a kick caught her in the chest and sent her back to the pavement.  
"That's no way to treat a lady," said Riley Finn, stepping behind them with a five man unit. "How about we teach you some manners?"  
The demons turned and growled at them, not the least bit afraid. "Stakes don't work," Buffy said, pulling herself up. "It's like we figured."  
"You heard the lady," Riley said. "Torch 'em."  
A young woman stepped forward with a large flame thrower, and within minutes, the creatures were dead.  
"So flames and sunlight, eh?" Riley asked, as the other female in the group lifted Buffy shirt enough to bandage the ribs. Riley turned his back. "Any other weaknesses?"  
"Holy water does nothing," she said. "The cross still works, but the stakes don't phase them. I cut one's head off, but it... sorta grew back."  
"But they can be killed," Riley said. "That's more than we can say about their master. What is it he renamed himself?"  
Buffy pulled her shirt down and stepped in front of him. "Requiem. My son is calling himself Requiem." 


	2. Requiem for Tomorrow - Chapter 2

Title: Requiem For Tomorrow - Chapter 2  
  
Author: Jeffrey Patrick  
  
Description: The long-awaited (I think...) sequel to "Rain Falls on the Just" and "Of Magic and Machinations."  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a stuffed llama and a green super ball. Buffy and all related characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Fox. It's their house. I'm just sleeping over.  
  
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"This is Angela Gale with WSDN. Thank you for joining us. Our top story tonight is, of course, President Hillary Clinton's top secret meeting with our own Supreme Overlord, Requiem. Though the details of the closed door meeting are hush-hush, President Clinton did make this statement before leaving Prague on Air Force One."  
  
Riley Finn, Rupert Giles, Xander Harris and Buffy Summers-Harris sat around the television planning a raid when the news came on. The story had their attention immediately. Riley set the plans down, and gave his full attention to the screen. He watched as a crowd of reporters crowded around the Secret Service, trying to get a sound bite.   
  
President Clinton turned to the microphones and said, "While it is true that the CIA has confirmed reports of various underground groups rising to oppose the Supreme Overlord, His Excellency has asked us not to get involved. We have, however, agreed to give him and his staff our full cooperation. They will hunt down the threat to His Excellency with full immunity and the support of the CIA. It is my hope that this threat will be eliminated so promote harmony and peace among people and creatures of different cultures and dimensions."  
  
"Democrats," Riley crumbled. "This has to be some kind of joke."  
  
"It's no joke," Xander said, picking up the plans. "Brother Antus told us last week that nearly every world leader has been turned or replaced by someone loyal to Requiem. After all the destruction that bastard caused here, our dear pres became the only one to actually step willingly to his side. I suppose she had a strong desire to continue breathing or some such nonsense."  
  
"They'll be looking for us... tearing this place apart," Buffy said, kicking over a chair. "How sure are we that this place is safe?"  
  
"Only Maggie Walsh and about 3 of the Initiative higher ups knew about this place," Riley said. "It was our first base of operations. Top Secret. President Reagan didn't even know it was constructed during his term. If there is anywhere we ARE safe, it's here."  
  
"If being the operative word," Giles reminded.  
  
"We stay," Buffy said firmly. "But I doubt even this place will keep us safe for long." She turned to her husband. "You're on for hand-to-hand with the new recruits, Xander. I need you, Riley and Giles to beat them into shape. The war is on. It's do or die."  
  
  
  
  
  
Sarah Potts fell face first into the shallow pool of water. She had, at first, assumed it was a mirage. A figment of her imagination brought on by the desert heat. But as the water began to fill her lungs, she knew it was real. Unfortunately, she was too weak to keep herself from drowning. "Nice going, Sarah," she thought to herself. "Survive the heat, only to die in three inches of water." Fortunately for Sarah, dying was not in the cards that day. A strong gray-skinned arm grabbed her by the hair and lifted her out of the water.  
  
"Slayer," he said, the single horn in the middle of his forehead glistening in the intensity of the sun, "have you traveled so far only to give up now?"  
  
"Two... *cough*... words..." The Slayer coughed and hacked. The mage leaned in close to hear her. "Bite. Me."  
  
He grinned, letting her see the four glistening rows of teeth. "I'll pretend you never said that."  
  
"You know I'm the Slayer," Sarah said, "so you must know what I've come for."  
  
"Right to business then?" he asked. "And I was going to offer you some Earl Grey."  
  
"Please," she said. "If you give me what I came for, I won't kill you."  
  
The demon mage laughed in delight. "You amuse me, Slayer. Truly, you do." He through her to the ground, continuing his laugh. "What you seek, you will not find here." He touched her head and immediately she saw a vision of the ruins of a Mayan temple. "Here you will find your answer," he said.  
  
"Thanks, chief," she said, trying desperately to stand. "I don't suppose you'd want to give a girl a lift, would ya?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Giles watched Xander as he faced down two of their newest recruits. He was swift and aggressive. His form was flawless. Part of Giles swelled with pride. He always knew Xander had the potential to be a fighter, but it just was never in him. Until Buffy's child had been taken and twisted. Requiem was the combined manifestation of all the children they had lost that awful night. Apparently Xander realized his wife needed a general as much as a husband. Giles shook his head. He secretly longed for the days when Xander was the one running for donuts.  
  
"No," he had Xander tell a recruit just before sweeping his legs and sending him crashing to the floor, "you NEVER leave them standing. You give them an inch and you're dead. D-E-A-D. There is no coming back from that, men. Most of the time anyway."  
  
Giles chuckled at that, before turning and leaving the training area for the office he shared with Buffy. He found her still pouring over the plans Riley had given her. "Still planning?"  
  
"Well, it's not exactly a cakewalk, Giles. This formerly abandoned military base is guarded by Gok'min demons. They are three times stronger than your average human and can see in the dark. We have our work cut out for us." She threw the plans down on the desk and sighed heavily. "We need more heavy hitters, Giles."  
  
"Sarah should be back soon, Buffy," he reminded. "And with any luck, she'll have the key to our victory in hand."  
  
  
  
  
Requiem rose from the pool. His handmaidens, naked and pale, draped his crimson robe over his shoulders. He pierced the neck of one with his teeth, as the others prepared his bed. Two demons at the doors opened them wide. A vampire, wearing an Asian face, entered and bowed low. "Your Excellency," he said, his voice trembling. "I was told you sent for me?"  
  
Requiem lifted a silk napkin to his lips, dabbing the blood away. "Joseph, my lad, it is a pleasure to see you looking so... fit. Have you been working out?"  
  
"My lord?"  
  
"Never mind," Requiem said, having a seat a large leather chair. "I need you to do a little something for me. You know of the so-called vampire Slayer?"  
  
"I believe there are two, Your Excellency."  
  
"So there are," he said. "It is Buffy Summers, however, that I speak of. I need you to travel to the US. In California, you will find her in or around a small town called Sunnydale. I want you to bring her to me."  
  
"Bring... the Slayer... to you?" Joseph repeated. "But... why, my lord?"  
  
"Because," Requiem said, closing his eyes and resting his head against the back of the chair, "Mother and I need to have a little talk."  
  
  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. Requiem for Tomorrow Chapter 3

Title: Requiem For Tomorrow - Chapter 3  
  
Author: Jeffrey Patrick  
  
Description: The third installment of the trilogy that began with "Rain Falls On the Just" and "Of Magic and Machinations."  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my pet clam, Barnacle Bill, and a year's supply of castor oil. Buffy and all related characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Fox. It's their car. I just joyride in it.  
  
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Sarah Potts had been all over the world in her short tenure as a Slayer. She had chased a Pa'slo demon across a frozen wasteland. She had killed a M'kaisl demon in the Alps, and just survived a trip through the desert. But Sarah hated the jungle worst of all. The wet heat. The mosquitoes. The wild animals. She laughed at herself. She had faced the most fearsome evil that hell ever spit out, but snakes still gave her the creeps. And monkeys… She shuddered. "Focus, Sarah," she thought to herself. "I've got to find this Mayan temple. Buffy and the others are counting on me."  
She hacked through the brush with a machete, stopping every few miles to wipe the sweat from her brow. Her blouse was soaked, her feet ached and her arms were tired. She pulled her top off, leaving only the black sports bra beneath it. "Oh well," she thought. "No one around to gawk at me." She then sighed and smiled. "No one around to appreciate it, either. My luck runs ever true." She tied the shirt around her waist and trudged onward.  
  
  
  
Buffy Summers sat at the end of a large table in the briefing room. Her "generals", as she liked to call them, were assembled before her. Xander, her husband was at her right side. Giles was to her left. To his left, Tynisa Johnson, former Naval officer turned tennis pro turned demon fighter. To her left, Riley Finn sat going over several reports. Between he and Xander sat Stone Hanson, former street hood turned demon killing machine. Buffy cleared her throat and they all turned their attention to her.  
"Before I tell you why I called this meeting, let me first inform you that Sarah checked in late last night. She's currently in the jungle searching for a Mayan temple rumored to have the answers we're looking for. I want her coordinates every time she checks in."  
The all nodded. Xander closed a file sitting before him and passed it to Buffy. She sighed and took a moment before continuing. "Xander came across some information while undercover with the Brotherhood. Xander?"  
Xander stood and faced them as Buffy passed out copies of the file he had handed her. "We've hit the big time, boys and girls. What Buffy is handing you is a series of wanted posters. Riley and his team erased us from the DMV system; so thankfully, Requiem and his people don't have pictures of us yet. These posters call for Buffy, Giles and myself. They apparently want Buffy alive. G-man and I can be man-kabob for all they care. We're gonna have to be more careful."  
"It's not like we've been reckless up to this point," Stone said. "We've managed to amass quite the little army here without raising too much suspicion."  
"Those days are gone, I'm afraid," Giles said. "Requiem has the resources of all the world powers at his disposal. It's only a matter of time before we are located. We must be prepared."  
"Giles is right," Riley said. "The less 'grass roots' we become, the easier it will be for them to track us. Buffy and I are working on a plan to have multiple factions scattered throughout the world. We already have a contact in London thanks to Giles. It may soon be necessary to split our forces here in order to train the other groups."  
"Just don't send me somewhere cold," Tynisa said with a grin. "That's all I ask."  
"This is serious, gang," Buffy said sharply. "We have to stay on our toes. Requiem won't rest until his opposition is crushed."  
  
  
  
Requiem looked out his window, gazing at the dark skies over Prague. The fear in the air was palpable and intoxicating. He smiled, his fangs raking over his bottom lip. He closed the curtains and turned back to the associates who awaited him.  
"Gentlemen," he sighed, "the morning is coming. What news do you bring me of the Slayer?"  
"Our source says he will provide the location of the Slayer and her operatives for a price," one of his lieutenants said.   
"And the price?" Requiem asked with genuine curiosity.  
"The price… is unusual, my lord. I placed a file on your desk containing the details."  
"Very good. And the other matter?"  
"Sarah Potts was sent to a Mayan temple. We put the desert mage to death for his betrayal. I have already sent some of the New Breed to the temple," another lieutenant explained. "She will be dead before the close of another day."  
  
  
  
  
Xander Harris watched his wife as she poured over a set of blueprints. She was clearly exhausted. "Still working on the military complex heist?"  
She nodded, eyes still focused on the plans. "It's going to be tough."  
"Isn't it always?" he grinned, placing his hands on her shoulders and rubbing them gently. "Maybe if you came to bed… You know… worked out your frustrations a bit."  
"I don't have time for…" she paused, circling something on the blueprint.  
"Me," he sighed. "You don't have time for me."  
"This again?" she asked flatly.  
"No," he said, turning to go. "I don't have the energy tonight."  
She watched him go and then sighed, turning back to her plans.  
  
  
  
  
Sarah Potts smiled at the site of the ancient temple. "About damn time," she sighed. The climb to the entrance was arduous. "You owe me, Buffy," she grunted. The only entrance was a long drop into a dark room. She dropped into the darkness, but landed on something soft. "Nice," she said, feeling the vines beneath her. "The jungle has moved in." A sound from behind her made her turn. She squinted, trying to will her eyes to adjust more quickly. Something hard struck her in the back. She fell to her knees in pain. The next blow struck her in the temple. She sniffed the air just before she passed out. "New Breed," was her last thought before the darkness claimed her. 


End file.
